Supported and Unsupported Files and References

Desktop Connector 16.x versions include a predefined list of files that will not be uploaded. Several factors, like Docs-incompatible files, unnecessary cloud files, and problematic backup files, prevent certain files from being in the cloud.

Important: Today, we need to wait for each monthly release to add or remove filename extensions and alter behavior. However, by employing a cloud configuration approach, we can swiftly implement these changes and distribute them to existing installations in the field.

Topics in this Section:

File Types and Information
File References
Supported Design Files Formats
Unsupported Design File Formats

File Types and Information

Desktop Connector supports all file types which are supported by the relevant data source for each connector. For a list of all supported files, access the following links:

File References

Desktop Connector can analyze design files which support references to understand and gather their referenced files.

You can use Desktop Connector Reference Explorer to view a design file's references in different data views to enhance your understanding of their relationships. Each supported referenced file will also be searched for references until there are either no more referenced files, or an unsupported file is found.

Reference Explorer can also detail any errors including missing and circular references so you can move references to locatable folders before uploading to your connector.

Reference Explorer Home

Note: In the latest release of Desktop Connector, Autodesk Docs users can use the Upload Files and References tool to view and upload design files with references. Refer to the Docs - Upload Files and References help topic for more information.

Reference Explorer Home

Supported Design Files Formats

Desktop Connector supports advanced workflows, including reference gathering, for the following applications and file types:

Note: Make sure you have the latest updates installed for the best performance. You can use the search at the top of the table to narrow down results in the table.

File Type	Authoring Application
.max .mat .maxc	Autodesk 3ds Max (64-bit only)
.wire	Autodesk Alias (64-bit only)
.dwg .dwt .dst	Autodesk AutoCAD (64-bit only)
.dwg .dwt .dst	Autodesk Civil 3D
.fm	Autodesk FeatureCAM (64-bit only)
.dwg .iam .idw .ipn .ipt	Autodesk Inventor (64-bit only)
.nwc .nwd .nwf	Autodesk Navisworks
.rcp .rcs	Autodesk Recap
.doc .docx .dot .xls .xlsx .xlt .ppt .pot .msg	Microsoft Office
.pwi	Autodesk PowerInspect (64-bit only)
.pmlprj	Autodesk PowerMill (64-bit only)
.asm .drw .prt .sldasm .slddrw .sldprt	Solidworks® (64-bit only)
.vpb	Autodesk VRED

Unsupported Design File Formats

The following file types are not supported and are blocked from being uploaded to the cloud using Desktop Connector. You may see these files on your local drive yet they are part of an exclusion list that will not be uploaded to the cloud to ensure sync stability. These are in addition to any file formats that are unsupported by Autodesk Docs.

You can use the search at the top of the table to narrow down results in the table.

File Type	Authoring Application
.dce .dwk .dwl .dwl2 .ac$ .ds$ .sv$ .bak	Autodesk AutoCAD
.lck	Autodesk Inventor
.iwm	Autodesk Infraworks
.nws~ .nwc~ .nwd~	Autodesk Navisworks
.vsd~	Microsoft Visio
.lock	ArcGIS
.rws .slog	Revit
.3dmbak	Rhino
.tmp	Generic (Word)
.htm .html	Hyper Text Markup Language
.bk .bk1 .bk2 .bk3	Recap
.PrestoRecover .PrestoBackup	Presto
.dat	Data Files
.vce~	TBC (Trimble Business Center) files
.sqlite-wal .sqlite-shm	SQLite temp files

Important: A file exclusion list is a guide that tells a system which files or file types to leave out during certain tasks like backups or syncing. It helps control which files to include or skip, based on certain rules or needs.

Related Concepts:

Supported files extensions for BIM 360.